


Love thy neighbour

by ramblesandshambles



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Caryl, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-28
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-04-23 14:32:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 17,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4880461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramblesandshambles/pseuds/ramblesandshambles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are so many fic's where they fall head over heel's to each other. What if right off the bat Daryl does something unforgivable and Carol then just hates him on sight. What then?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [honkytonkwoman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/honkytonkwoman/gifts).



> Spawn from a chat with some other women when I asked them to write me a fic and I got carried away in the chat and ended up writing it myself. Hope you don't think its too crazy, and I have no idea if there will be a second part.

Daryl looked out his kitchen window again and that rabbit was in his garden hopping about eating his food. It was a smart rabbit he'd tried to shoot it twice now, he was going to make it into something yummy for eating his garden vegetables. _The little shit was just staring at him while he was eating too, the little brown fucker!_

He lived on the edge of the town and his nearest neighbor next door a new woman and her kid moved in a few weeks back lived about five hundred yards away, no one was going to know if he used his bow so near to the house... _in his own back yard._   His back yard backed onto the forest and he often went hunting in there for different types of meat but to have one hopping into his back yard was too much to miss. They wouldn't even know he wasn't allowed to use his bow in the back yard it wasn't like they put their heads over the fence or he was even firing in their direction. He'd barely even spoken to the blue eyed woman, Daryl liked to keep to himself and only offered a wave as he went past. She had the movers to help her so he didn't even feel he should go over and offer help. They had a dog running about and as long as it stayed on his side of the fence and didn't come sniffing around his dog trying it on he was fine with just being a waving neighbour.

Daryl picked up his cross bow, nudged his kitchen french doors open and let fire. Killing it on the spot. No noise no nothing the little thing didn't even hear it coming. He was eating well tonight, if he pulled out the vegetables the little thing had been eating he had the makings for rabbit stew. Merle had been mocking him for days telling him he was getting slow in his old age not being able to shoot the thing. Daryl told Merle he would take care of it and when he did they would be having rabbit stew for dinner.

Daryl set to work, he skinned and gutted the rabbit. He was somewhat surprised when he looked at the fur the now dead rabbit had a white bib on it. It was unusual to see a brown rabbit coming out of the woods, they were normally grey, but it wasn't like he had never eaten a brown one before, he then started to fry it off to add more flavour to it. He slowly added his vegetables and popped it in the oven. He left it in the oven to cook slowly. He needed to duck into town to do a few odd jobs, he set his oven on low and knew it would be done by the time he arrived home.

He pulled on his leather jacket and headed out to his bike. With his helmet on he pulled slowly out the front of his home. He saw the little girl from next door looking around under the bushes near the road in front of his house. They were the only two houses on this road and they were right beside each other. Both with their own little bit of land out the back and to the side he didn't understand why the kid was poking around the front of his house. He really didn't care either as long as she didn't come knocking on his door bothering him. Her mama though, she could come knocking on his door any time of the day or night. She had a rack on her and was very cute. He and his brother had both been stealing glances her way. Merle was all loved up but Daryl was free to look all he liked.

He rode slowly past the little girls mother who was wearing very short shorts, he sure noticed those as she bent over in front of their own house doing the same thing as the little girl looking in the bushes. He tore his eyes away from her arse and decided it was time he should go over and introduce himself. She might just be feeling lonely enough one night that she would invite him over for more than dinner. For the past few weeks he had had to listen to his brother describe the neighbour in detail, if his brother wasn't all hooked into the full relationship thing with his girl Daryl was sure he would be over there knocking on the door asking to borrow some sugar or something.

He was going to invite them over for dinner tonight he decided. He beeped his horn at her as he passed her, she straightened, shielded her eyes and gave him a half wave. He didn't know a great deal about her except that she worked a hairdresser in town and she was single. Merle's girlfriend offered that information without being prompted not long after they moved in. Maybe he should invite them over for dinner, he'd made enough. Daryl did a slow loop on his bike and pulled up beside her. She straightened again and gave him a friendly smile, she sheilded her eyes from the sun's glare as she looked at him wondering what he wanted.

"Hi... I'm Daryl," He pulled off his helmet and offered her a smile. He didn't smile much but he decided to lay on the charm, they could have mutual benefits between them if she wanted too. He knew he wouldn't kick her out of bed for eating crisps so now he just wanted to see if she had something going on between her ears. Most women he'd hooked up with were air heads. Andrea had said she was very funny and nice the few times she had met her. He cast his eyes slowly down her, she stared back at him then she stared openly at his crotch, he got the message to stop staring at her chest and legs.

"Carol... hi, we are just looking for something..." Carol was cut off by Daryl who just blurted.

"Would you guys like to come over for dinner tonight, I'm making a stew... meet my brother and his girlfriend... since you are new to town and all?" Daryl's words rambled together. "Its nothing much but dinner will taste good."

"Sure... that would be nice," Carol told him, "What time? I'd have to bring Sophia."

"Sure bring the kid, there's more than enough.... come at six, Andrea will be back by then, you know her?"

"Her names Sophia, yeah... she handled my divorce, I like her... I'll bring some chocolate cake... thanks Daryl." Carol went to say something else but the little girl interrupted them, "Coming Sophia,"

'Oscar's digging a hole again," Sophia come along holding the dog, Daryl gave them both a nod and headed back on his way into town. Carol stood wondering what she was thinking going out with the sexy neighbour... even if it was just for dinner with his brother and girlfriend. She walked over to her daughter and they both kept going on their search.

Five hours later Sophia and her mom went across for dinner at Daryl's and Merle's. They just finished dinner, everyone commenting on how tasty it was and it was a pity there wasn't any left. Daryl beamed at the compliments telling them when he caught another rabbit he would invite them again. Sophia glanced up at him and kept playing with the dog for a while while the adults talked. Before they left to go home little Sophia asked a question "Mr Daryl, have you seen my bunny? It's name is Fru Fru... he's got a white bib, my grandpop gave him to me... he keeps getting out of its cage." 

Daryl glanced at his brother who had a shit eating grin on his face as he put two and two together of what Daryl had done, a flash of horror went by Daryl's and Carol looked from brother to brother and started to gag. Andrea put her hand over her mouth and run from the room.

 _"HOW COULD YOU!"_ Carol yelled at Daryl.

"I didn't know I swear..." Daryl looked shocked.

"Know what? _Have you_ seen my bunny?" Sophia asked again.

"No... he hasn't seen your bunny, lets go home Sophia... Mr Dixon... please don't invite us to dinner again, we might end up eating Oscar... that's our dog... please don't confuse him with a possum or a skunk or whatever because he's a brown lab!" She pushed Sophia out the door then slammed the door on Daryl as he was trying to explain without letting Sophia know she had had second helpings of her pet rabbit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You all asked for this, It was supposed to be a one shot ... but I'm easily swayed like a drunk at a party.
> 
> Here goes chapter fix the rabbit. This is such a crack fic.

Andrea followed Carol out and followed them home, apologizing for Daryl and that he didn't get out a great deal. No one said out loud in front of Sophia what the problem was, she just thought that her mom and Daryl had a argument.

"I'm so so sorry Carol, he wouldn't of done it on purpose if he knew..." Andrea tried again.

"I know, I just don't want to see him ever again."

"That's fine... let me know if you need anything." Andrea gave her a quick hug and left to go back to the Dixon's to scold Daryl some more.

"Why are you angry at Mr Daryl?" Sophia asked her mother.

"Its Adult stuff." Carol told her.

"He's a good cook, I didn't know men could cook... doesn't he have a wife?" Sophia asked her mom, she was on a roll talking about the men next door. "Can we go eat there again?"

"He might not have all the ingredients." Carol told her.

"But we could buy him some chicken to make some." Sophia suggested.

"Mmm," Carol tried to get Sophia out of the kitchen and get her off to bed. Sophia called her dog to follow them. Carol stood by waiting for Sophia to use the toilet and wash her hands. Carol helped her into bed and she headed back out to the kitchen to clean up from the day. The outside sensor light in the driveway flicked on and she saw a lonely figure walking up the drive. 

_Daryl Fucken Dixon the Bunny Slayer. He had some nerve._

He looked up at the lights as they flicked on the whole way he walked up the drive. She walked over and flung the french doors of the kitchen open and crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him. He stopped and the bottom of the deck and held his hands out to show he meant no harm.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to say.... sorry... I guess..."

"You guess?" Carol stood there staring at him. 

"I mean, I didn't know it was your's I thought it was wild...."

"So a tame ... _you know what..._ that didn't run away from you just stood there staring at you and you though.... Yum dinner!" Carol glowed at him. 

"Anyway... I'm sorry..." Daryl told her.

"Yeah... please go I don't even want to know you... please don't come back." Carol shut the door and left him standing at the bottom of the deck, he didn't even make it onto the deck and he certainly didn't make it into her house. Daryl stomped back down the drive and back to his own house. Daryl walked back into his house and flopped down on his couch.

"I'm never going to get past the front door in that house." He complained to his brother. Andrea looked across at him shaking her head. 

"Well if you are after the pussy you shouldn't have killed the other pets in the house Daryl." Merle laughed his head off.

"Daryl... why don't you just go buy the kid another rabbit, but not a brown or grey one get one of those giant ones," Andrea suggest, "that way you won't mistake it for dinner."

"You think I can do something like that?" 

"Of course you can... just tell the kid you are sorry about her rabbit, but you saw it playing in the woods with a bunch of other rabbits doing rabbit stuff... and you got her a different type of one that loves staying at home with little girls." Merle told him. "Lie like fuck to her because if she ever finds out you fed her her pet rabbit you will never get into Carol's panties..."

"Awe Merle... who knew you were so good at lying to kids..." Andrea leaned over and kissed him, "You will make a great dad one day... replacing goldfish for new ones... don't you think you should just stitch up the skin and shove some saw dust inside and tell her you found it dead. Then bury it with her... just don't tell her you gutted it and she ate it. Don't let her touch it... You still have the head right? I'll make a nice little cardboard box... we will hold a funeral or something tomorrow."

"Yeah brother hold a bunny funeral and then you might get some pussy." Merle told him. 

Daryl thought about it for a while then he stood up and went out back to figure out if he could sew the rabbit back together and tell the little girl next door that he just found it dead. He looked around to try figure out what to stuff it with. He brought it inside and lay the head and skin on the kitchen table. Andrea sighed and offered up a shoe box and some pretty pillow cases to try make a bed for it. Merle wandered around and come back with some stones and things. 

"Why stones?" Andrea asked him.

"Because Daryl's going to fill that with pillow stuffing and the box has to weigh like a dead rabbit. Just don't let her pick it up... tell her she might get sick." Merle warned them. They all worked quietly together to try fix up the rabbit skin and make it look like they just found it like that. 

Maybe if he could fix this with Sophia so she didn't keep looking for her bunny he might stand a chance with the mother Daryl hoped. Maybe then she might just let him up on the deck... in the kitchen... or her bed. She sure was a sweet little thing the women next door... He hoped she would be swayed by his gesture of doing this with the skin... maybe he should get the kid a new bunny too. 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crack fic continues.

Daryl pulled up his drive the next day after work looking at the pet cage on the seat beside him. The man who breed this breed of rabbit was reluctant to sell to him knowing he was a hunter but Daryl had pleaded that his name was mud because he ate the little girls next doors bunny.

In the end he had to tell the man that he accidentally put a bolt through the little girls bunny and now he was trying to make amends with the mother. He didn't tell him he accidently skinned it, cooked it then fed it to the little girl. They all would go with that to the grave and he would never tell anyone that.

It was a giant breed of rabbit and would grow to about twenty pounds or bigger, no hunter would confuse it with a wild rabbit which he was glad about, he glanced at the rabbit staring back at him on the front set of the truck. It was sitting there so trusting. Hand raised and the guy he brought it off said it would just sit on the front seat of his truck... it was like a damn dog staring at him. It was already huge and would make good eating.

The rabbit kept staring at him and Daryl knew that it knew he was thinking about eating him.

"I won't alright... I didn't mean to feed ya friend to its owner either." Daryl told it as he pulled into his home. He walked around and hooked the stupid thing up to a lead. The guy made him pay extra for a harness for it. Like a dumb dog. He lifted it down and then gave a gentle tug on the lead and it followed him along to the back of the house where Merle was sitting having a smoke. Merle nearly fell of his seat when he saw Daryl come around the corner with the rabbit on the leash.

He started choking on his drink because he was trying not to snort the drink out of his nose. Daryl just stood there holding the lead of the rabbit staring at his brother trying to compose himself. Merle couldn't, he was lying on his side on the deck still laughing and trying to get his phone out of his pocket.

"Andrea... Andrea... come see what numb nuts doing!" Merle called out into the open doors. 

Andrea walked out saw Daryl standing there holding the lead with the giant rabbit. She couldn't hold her composure and she just started laughing. It was a silent laugh she was holding her arms around herself looking like she was trying to stop herself from going to the toilet. She kept laughing then run off to the house. They both heard the laughter coming from Merles bathroom.

Merle was snapping photos to share with friends, he wanted to show them to what lengths Daryl was going to go to to try get into the women's next door panties. 

"He got a name?" Merle finally caught his breath and asked Daryl.

"It's not a he... her name is..." Daryl stopped and he just knew he was going to have to say it. "Princess Katy... don't laugh... they already named her." Daryl mumbled, he could see Merle had started laughing again. "Stop laughing!" Daryl tried to go into the house, he tugged on the lead, "Come on Princess Katy... fuck... Princess Katy do I have to lift your lazy ass up these steps."

"Come on Princess Katy, listen to your daddy." Merle teased him, Daryl bent down to pick up the rabbit to take it inside the house. He threw a well aimed kick at his brother on his way past. Merle kept mocking him the whole way into the house and down the hall.

"Get the dead rabbit and lets go do this... I'm just gonna shower first." Daryl told Merle, he took the rabbit through to his room putting it on his bed, she lay down and stared at him like she was waiting for him to pet her or something.  Daryl frowned at her and she tilted her head to its side, Daryl reached out and petted her because she wouldn't stoop staring at him. "Right now stay there and don't move and I'll take you over to Sophia soon."

Daryl headed into the bathroom and left the rabbit on the bed, he dropped off all his clothes then he walked naked back to look at the rabbit, he took the lead off it because he didn't want it to get all tangled up and strangle itself in it. He didn't want to be responsible for killing another rabbit of Sophia's even though the little girl didn't know he brought it for her. Then he would never get a chance to land the mother, she had a rack on her that he was interested in looking at more closely. Merle was probably right, get the girl onside and the mom would follow.

He took his shower and tried to figure out how he was going to do this. He wanted to figure out how he was going to do this, take a dead skin over that would be starting to smell and then they would have to bury it, then he would present her with this one. He run around his bedroom looking for something clean to wear then pulled on jeans and a tee shirt and headed outside with the giant rabbit to find his brother.

"I'll give her the giant bunny Daryl," Merle tried to steal the lead off Daryl. Daryl had the lead in one hand and the dead bunny box tucked under his arm. 

"No you just want to look like a hero... I need to look like the hero... you already..." Daryl stopped talking before he said something he would be teased about even more.

"We doing all this so you can get some pussy Daryl." Merle look shocked at his brother, "You going to use a innocent little bunny to lure the lady next door into your bed," Merle couldn't keep the shocked look up any more and he started laughing again.

Daryl put the rabbit in the truck and took the dead thing around and put it into the back of the truck, he then headed off to find the shovel he would need to bury the fake rabbit. It wasn't that far but he didn't want to walk a rabbit down the road in case someone saw him, plus he wanted to take a shovel just in case Carol didn't have one.

"Wait for me... I want to see how a Dixon tries to pull a women with a rabbit skin and a giant rabbit." Andrea come down the steps, she had a few carrots in her hands, she climbed into the back of the truck. That was when Daryl realized she had her phone out ready to take photos.

"Princess Katy," Merle corrected, he passed the rabbit through so Andrea to cuddle it. Andrea put it over her shoulder and rocked it like a baby, "Don't get any idea's," Merle growled at her as she rocked the rabbit, Andrea just poked her tongue out at him. 

Daryl come along carrying a shovel and threw it into the back of the truck. He climbed into the truck, he glanced over at Andrea who was still looking like she was burping a baby instead of holding a rabbit. "She alright."

"She's fine," Andrea told him she kept stroking the rabbit. Daryl started the truck up and backed down the drive to go next door.

"Daryl... I hope Carol's got a magical vagina if you are going to all this trouble to try get some... you could just go down to the bar and pick up a women if that was what you wanted." Merle told him, "Ow you didn't need to punch me!" He complained as Daryl took a moment before changing gears to punch his arm. 

"Course I know I can get pussy at the bar... I... shut the fuck up... and lets bury this thing and go see if she wants the rabbit, if not we will be eating rabbit stew for a month." Daryl told them.

"NO!" Andrea told him from the back seat. "I won't let Daryl eat you Princess Katy." Andrea tried to cover the big giant ears of the rabbit so it didn't hear Daryl talking about rabbit stew.

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Carol heard the truck pull up her drive before she saw it. 

"What's he doing here?" She heard that truck come home to the house next door more times than she cared to think about. She couldn't understand why he was showing up at her house again when she clearly told the guy to go. The way he looked at her made her feel sexy and dirty all at the same time. Really dirty like she wanted to do dirty things to him. She just couldn't get over the fact they ate Sophia's bunny and now the little girl was out the back still looking for it. She would never have the heart to tell her that it was dead and how she knew.

She looked out the window and saw three people getting out of the truck. Daryl had a box in his hands and he walked towards Sophia. He must have called her because she come running to her. She put her hands over her face and come running inside to her mother and wrapped her arms around her.

"Mr Daryl found Fru Fru dead in the forest, he ate some wild berries that put him to sleep forever... he said that Fru Fru didn't know they were bad berries and he wasn't scared and he thought he was just taking a nap." Sophia sobbed, Carol looked up and saw the three neighbours standing in the door way. Carol mouthed 'Thank you,'. "Mr Daryl has him in the box and said we can bury him where ever I want too and then he has a surprise."

"A surprise... a dead rabbit and a surprise?" She raised her eyebrows looking across the kitchen, he just nodded. Sophia had already run outside looking for a place to bury her bunny. Carol pulled her shirt down as much as she could, she wished she wasn't wearing a tight one that Daryl was getting a good view of her chest, and apparently he liked the shorts she was wearing today. His gaze took her in from head to toe.

"Though she would keep looking forever... hope this is ok... I've got the rabbit skin in here."

"Just don't show her all of it just enough for her to believe its her bunny." Carol tugged at her shorts to follow everyone outside to a bunny funeral.

Daryl showed Sophia quickly only a little bit of the bunny's head when she asked to see it. It was enough for her to confirm that it was her rabbit. Sophia reached out to touch it and Daryl shoved the lid back onto the box really quickly. He fumbled and the box crushed into his side. He turned his back on Sophia and Merle moved beside him to sort out the dead fake bunny. The box split at the seams and stones fell out the bottom of the box.

Merle had already dug the hole where Sophia wanted it and before Merle could say anything Daryl was trying to get the box in the hole before the sludgy head of the bunny leaked out the side of the shoe box. The smell was starting to make him gag. Merle gestured to Andrea to move Sophia away because he could tell the box was giving way. Andrea just managed to pull Sophia back in time as the dead bunny slopped out the bottom of the box into the ground beside the hole, Carol gasped and put her hand over her mouth as she saw it fall. 

Daryl nudged the mangled rabbit into the hole with his toe of his boot and glanced over to make sure Andrea had Sophia distracted. He dropped to his knee to arrange the box in the hole so it looked like the bunny could still be in there. It was a really deep hole. Merle dug it deep so their dog wouldn't dig it up again. Daryl had to lie flat on his stomach to fix it all. He finally fixed it so the box looked normal. He sat back on his knees and tried to remain casual like nothing happened.

"You wanna look Sophia?" Daryl asked the little girl. Sophia turned back and took a quick glance down the hole, she nodded and then Merle set to work to fill it up. Sophia started crying again. "I've got a surprise for you Sophia... if that's ok Carol?"

"Its not a casserole?" Carol asked him. Daryl just shook his head and headed back to his truck.

He looked in the open window to see Princess Katy was sound asleep. She was still wearing her harness and Daryl clipped the lead to the rabbit. "Come on Princess Katy... its show time... wake up... you're my golden ticket to the love shack!" Daryl whispered to the rabbit. He picked the rabbit up and put it over his shoulder like Andrea had been nursing it. It was massive. He didn't think that Sophia was going to be able to be able to pick it up.

He ended up carrying it to the end of the house then putting her down to make her hop around the corner so Sophia could see her in all her glory. He got the reaction he wanted. Sophia come running to pet it. He passed her the lead and told her to not pull her too hard.

"What's her name?" Sophia asked Daryl.

"Princess Katy..." Daryl mumbled.

"What?"

"Princess Katy... " Sophia glanced up at him from where she was crouching by the rabbit, "PRINCESS KATY!" Daryl said loudly, he could hear Merle snorting from the other side of the yard. Sophia tried to pick the rabbit up and she struggled carrying her over to her mother.

"Can I keep her?" Sophia asked her mom, Carol just nodded, she glanced up at Daryl.

"You know what she looks like? You won't confuse her... because I'm not doing this again." She warned Daryl.

"It was just one time..." Daryl said quietly. Andrea ducked off to get her the carrots they brought her. Merle and Andrea patted the rabbit and told Sophia they were sorry about her other one. They left together walking down the drive leaving Daryl to paddle his own canoe in the rabbit drama. Sophia was lying on the grass with Princess Katy on the other side of the yard. They were free to talk without Sophia hearing them. Daryl was going to try to turn on the Dixon charm.

"She's not going to fit in the hutch... she's too big," Carol pointed to the hutch the other rabbit had lived in, while the run was huge, the bed area was small and Princess Katy wouldn't even fit in there. 

"She can sleep on her bed... she took a nap on mine earlier... she seems really lazy." Daryl told Carol. 

"You let the rabbit nap on your bed?" Carol couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"My bed's really comfortable... and really big," Daryl told her, Carol crossed her arms across her chest blocking his view from her chest that he kept glancing at. "I'll come fix the hutch bit tomorrow... I'll make it bigger but she will be fine in her room I think... " Daryl was getting flustered, he wasn't used to hitting on women, and when ever he did try he normal had a few drinks in him and it always worked at the dodgy bar down the road but he never come across someone like Carol before who wasn't falling for any of it. In fact she looked almost bored with him in between the flashes of anger about the rabbit he made them eat. "Its Saturday tomorrow I'll do it then." Daryl told her, his gaze went down her body to her shorts again.

"That would be great... I mean you should since you are the reason she needs a new house for a rabbit. Don't think this means I forgive you for feeding me and Sophia Fru Fru Daryl Dixon... I'm just not that sort of girl that's going to invite the sexy neighbour into her bed... so thanks for the rabbit and I'll see you tomorrow." Carol walked away leaving him standing there without much of a second glance to go see her daughter and her new rabbit.

Daryl frowned. His plan didn't work in fact she appeared to be indifferent to him. He stood there watching her arse as she bent down to talk to her daughter. Maybe he just needed to back off. He walked over and looked at the hutch. Two could play at that game, he'd make the sleeping box at home and just attach it tomorrow and he'd be gone. 


	5. Chapter 5

"And then the bunny fell out the bottom," Merle threw his head back and laughed his head off. He was lying on the couch with his head on Andrea's lap. They had been sitting at home wondering if Carol was going to invite Daryl in for coffee or not. Merle said no and Andrea was on the fence. She didn't know if Daryl would ever come back from the rabbit stew dinner, she just thought it was too much for Carol to forgive. Daryl had a lot of ground to make up to even get over the front door step. "Can you believe that?"

"The things you Dixon boys do to get into women's pants," Andrea rubbed the top of his head, he always told her he hated her rubbing his head like that. But really he was like putty in her hands whenever she touched him. He was a yes mam man whenever Andrea asked or told him to do something. Right now while he was getting his head rubbed and some affection in her lap he would give her the world if she asked him for it. They were an unusual couple, mainly because Andrea's high paying job and Merle was a full blooded red neck from the wrong side of the tracks. She had a nice apartment on the other side of the town where she kept her clothes but most nights she was at Merle's place because she loved sitting about relaxing enjoying the country lifestyle with both the men.  "Yes, I believe it, I remember what you did to get me to notice you."

"It was a accident." Merle tried to tell her again.

"Driving your truck through the law firm offices window." Andrea couldn't believe that day Merle Dixon come driving through the front reception area almost parking in her office. He hadn't been drinking or on the phone or anything, she was working late and he'd asked her out a few times and she had said no. That night he just got it into his head that he had to see her, he got distracted looking at the office as he was driving by. Merle was diabetic, his blood sugar dipped and he lost his concentration for a few moments and drove right in. He parked in reception. He got her attention well and truly that night and he had the cut on his forehead still to remind them of the first night they slept together.

Andrea looked up from her desk as the truck stopped just short of her desk. She could see he wasn't awake at the wheel when she run around the car to check him. She turned the truck off and saw his medical alert bracelet and looked. She saw his medical condition that she knew he must be on a low. She dug about the front of his truck and found a tube of honey and jelly beans. She put the honey on her finger and put her finger in his mouth to try help him. She managed to rouse him enough with the honey because the last time she put her honey finger in his mouth he began sucking on her finger. Possibly one of the most erotic things she ever felt. 

"My brakes failed," Merle growled, "It was the brakes."

"You are a mechanic and your brakes failed... not likely," Andrea knew and he knew that he was working his body too hard, he'd skipped lunch and was going home for dinner. Since that night when he nearly run Andrea over in her office he was very particular about his dinner times, and his injections.  "I'd already turned you down on a date so you thought you would show up at my work.... you had flowers..." Andrea laughed as Merle blushed about it again, the flowers were from the rose bushes out the front of the building. They were all over the front of Merle's truck. Andrea like to tease him about that night sometimes. Merle just wanted to forget that he could have run her over.

"They were not for you... smart arse," Merle growled at her. Andrea just giggled, and Merle loved Andrea so much that he hated to know how close they both come to not being here that night. Daryl just happened to be following Merle about one minute behind him and saw the tail lights of Merle's truck parked in the law firm so he was able to get onto his phone for an ambulance. By the time he managed to climb through the debris of all the carnage he found his brother sucking on Andrea's finger. He couldn't believe Merle managed to nab a girl while he was out of it almost in a diabetic coma. 

"Who were they for... the nurse that was stitching your head?" Andrea suggested, "Or the female fire fighter that had to cut you out of your truck?" Andrea gave him one last dig, she slinked her hand down his shirt and started playing with his chest hair. She smiled at him and wondered if they would be seeing Daryl tonight or not.

"Shut up... Daryl's never going to get into Carol's pants because there's no coming back from feeding someone their pet bunny... then making it up and dropping it out of the box and kicking it into the hole." Merle assured her.

"Maybe... who knows, he might do something endearing,"

"He should just strut about naked... that's what I do when I want to get back on your good side." Merle told her.

"If you want to get on my good side walking around naked doesn't help..." Andrea leaned down and kissed him quickly, "All you have to do is put the trash out."

"I tried but Daryl keeps coming back in." Merle joked, Andrea tossed her head back and giggled.

"Stop, you love him really," Andrea tapped his forehead because he was always being mean about Daryl doing silly things, but this really took the case. He wasn't about to get anywhere with Carol because feeding someone a pet was about as low as he could go. The ranch door opened and closed and Daryl stomped in. "You get sent home brother?"

"Yeah... told me to go home."

"You should really just bail man, she's not ever going to let you into her panties.... sides, she's all class and you're.... well fuck... You!" Merle told him from his position in his cosy lap on the couch. Andrea tapped him on the head telling him not to be so mean to Daryl.

"Go get a hair cut Daryl... book one in with her, then she has no choice but to talk to you for half an hour or whatever when you go in. Plus she will have to wash it." Andrea suggested.

"Then you might get a close up look at those titties..." Merle added, Andrea slapped him chest for talking about someone elses breasts. Merle knew she didn't like it but he did it anyway. "Ow.... fuck Andrea... him not me.... I ain't looked at them."

"Do you think I should? Make a appointment for a haircut?" Daryl asked them both. "Do I need a haircut?" Both Merle and Andrea laughed at the suggestion that he might _not_ need one.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well I'm sorry we took a little turn.... yes I said a little.

Daryl didn't manage to see Carol over the weekend. He went over and sorted out the rabbit enclosure, he was only treated to the company of Sophia for most of the weekend. She had a sitter who was a young student from the nearby university. The woman sat on the back deck with her chin resting on her hands watching Daryl teach Sophia how to fix up the boxed bit of the run. He even brought over some hay for it.

He was nervous in the beginning with the sitter watching him with Sophia but in the end he guessed that was what she was being paid for. After a while he forgot she was watching him and they went to work building the boxed sleeping part. He showed her how to hammer in the nails. Then he realized he had to talk to her.

"How old are you?"

"I'm eight... how old are you?" She asked Daryl.

"Thirty four... don't tell anyone."

"Why? Are you lying?" Sophia asked him. "Are you really a hundred?"

"A hundred... no... do I look that old?" Daryl looked shocked.

"No... Mom just said something about you and being a hundred years old... or I think it was not even if she didn't find a bird in a hundred years old.... I forget..." Sophia told him.

"A what?"

"You know that bird.... its a shag by the ocean, it catches fish and eats them." Sophia went back to hit a nail. Daryl tried to keep a straight face as the little girl next door let something slip that he was sure his mother would die if she knew Sophia was telling him.

"Who he tell that too?" Daryl tried to pump her more.

"Andrea and mommy had wine on the deck last night in the dark... they do that a lot... Andrea got my ... she got him away in jail." Sophia told him.

"Who..."

"Ed... I don't like him, and he doesn't like me... he didn't like mommy either... I'm not allowed to tell you." Sophia told him. Daryl kept handing Sophia nails. "He was trying to make mommy sell coke cola at the salon, and mommy said no cola... _no way no how!_ " Sophia mimic'd Carol. "I'm not allowed to drink cola... I can drink orange though."

Daryl stepped back and stared at the little girl. He wasn't so stupid that he didn't know Carol's ex was dealing drugs and tried to get Carol involved. 

"But why would you go to jail for selling fizzy?" Sophia asked him.

"What did your mom say?"

"She said he's a a dead beat and we live on the other side of the country now and my name is..." Sophia put her hand over her mouth and looked at him with wide eyes. "My name is Sophia..."

"Uh huh.... Sophia... did your mom tell you not to tell anyone?" Daryl asked her.

"Thanks for the bunny Mr Daryl I have to go inside...." Sophia gathered up the rabbit and tried to struggle with her inside, she turned around and looked at Daryl. "Please don't tell my mommy... I don't wanna move again."

"I won't... don't worry I don't even know what you talking about... I like orange too." Daryl told her. He went back to knocking together the rabbit hutch. He was long gone before Carol come home. He knew he had some things to think about. Some things he needed to forget about before he saw her again. 

He went home and tried lots of different types of google combinations of their names until he found it.  Bingo. Carol was hiding from her ex. In this little backward town in Georgia. She'd been in hiding for quite a few years. From when Sophia was little. Her ex was still in jail and from what he was reading it wasn't likely that he would ever come looking for Carol.

He spent a bit more time digging around on the internet and stared at the information that was on his dash. Well well well. This was really interesting and Andrea and Carol must be having a little grin right now on both the Dixon brothers. Step sisters. He was going to have some fun with this. He would make them tell him. He sent a little thankyou to Sophia for letting a few things slip. Now he was really going to book a hair cut for Monday.

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys some unexpected life stuff has come up. Lets see where this goes. So I am a hairdresser by trade and this could happen.... Never ever to me but.... it could.

"So how long have you known Andrea?" Daryl asked Carol. She was glaring at him through the mirror. She couldn't believe when she looked in her appointments she had a D Dixon down for a wash and cut.

"So how much do you want off?" Carol looked at his hair, it was a mess if you liked that shaggy overgrown look. She picked up a bit of it and then dropped it again.

"Do whatever you think," Daryl told her. "Just not bald."

"Ok... right Mr Dixon, I'll take you over to the basin and let our junior wash your hair." Carol told him.

"No... you wash it,"

"They don't pay me enough to have me wash your hair, when was the last time you washed it?" Carol asked him almost innocently.

"I don't know, about six weeks ago." Daryl told her, Carol took a step back. "It kinda stops needing a wash after I forget to wash it for ages."

"That's gross Daryl," Carol stared at his hair, "Who told you that?"

"Well... I read it once and I know that after a while your hair just doesn't get any worse... It might have been longer than six weeks..." Daryl mumbled.

"I can't make a junior touch your hair, you might put her off working forever... is your hair itchy?"

"Are you asking me if I have lice?" Daryl bit his lip and stared at her, "I don't have lice... Merle checked."

"Come on... have you had a shower in the last six weeks?" Carol threw over her shoulder as he followed her out the back of the shop to wash his hair.

"Do you ask all your clients if they get naked and take a shower?"

"Only the one's who don't wash their hair."

"Well I don't have anyone to wash my hair for me," Daryl mumbled as he sat on the seat. Carol could smell that he had just taken a shower and changed his clothes. He smelt nice but she wasn't keen to put her hands in his hair. _What a greasy mop._

"Sophia can wash her own hair and she's only seven, I'm sure a grown man like yourself can wash his hair like a big boy now." Carol told him.

She wrapped him up with a cape and towels and guided him down into the basin. She pulled down her dress because she didn't want him to get a eye full for her. She just knew he was probably going to get an eye full of her boobs also because she wasn't expecting to be leaning over a basin washing her neighbours greasy mop of hair.

"Keep your eyes front and center," she told him, "actually shut them, I wasn't expecting to have to do a full wash today, I only was working a half day."

"Why do you want me to shut my eyes? It looks quite good from here." Daryl told her, "Shit, you didn't need to do that." Carol accidentally let the water spray in his eyes. She blinded him with the water and he had to wipe the water away with the sleeves of his shirt. Carol was surprised he even owned one with sleeves and took a slow look at him from head to toe, he didn't scrub up too bad. Its just a shame he didn't scrub his hair before he come in.

"So how well do you know Andrea?" Daryl asked again.

 "Woops, soooo so sorry," Carol whispered as she looked around to check no one saw her. "I'm going to have to wash your hair three times." Carol set to work washing his hair and scrubbing it. She finally felt that she could actually cut it for him without cringing when she put her hands in his hair. She walked him back over to his seat and rubbed his hair again with her hands. "I little bit... I've known her for a while... why?"

"Just wondering... Merle's going to marry her... just wondering what you thought about that?" Daryl looked up in the mirror looking at her to see her face.

"Did he ask her?" Carol's voice was controlled and he could tell she was trying to keep it calm and professional. She picked up her comb and scissors and started to cut his hair. She combed through it and sectioned it up. Taking great delight by using bright pink hair clips to put his hair into sections. She was putting it into more sections than she needed too but she was having fun making him look funny in the mirror. A couple of her co workers glanced her way trying to figure out what she was doing with all the pink clips in his hair. She had her scissors and started trimming it.

"Nah... but he will. He's got a ring and all that shit... just wondered... cos she's your sister!" Daryl asked her.

Carol's mouth made a big O look then she looked down at her fingers and whispered, "Fuck!" when she saw what she just did to his hair.

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

"Daryl... Daryl..." Carol knocked on his bedroom door. Andrea was just about rolling around on the floor with laughter in the lounge. Sophia was standing holding onto her rabbit talking with Merle about carrots. She had no idea what was going on. They had had dinner at home then her mom said that they were going to go next door to talk to Daryl.

"Go away... I get it, its pay back for dinner the other night!" Come the muffled response, "It'll grow back... leave me alone!"

Carol turned the door handle and the door clicked open. She pushed it open and she stepped inside. She looked around. His room was a bit of a shambles, it looked like he had taken a shower and climbed straight into bed. The curtains were pulled and he had the blankets right up over his head.

"Its not that bad... if you just let me fix it," Carol tried to tell him. "I didn't do it on purpose."

There was slight movement in the bed. It gave Carol a moment to explore his bedroom a little bit. She started picking through the stuff on his dresser to see if anything caught her eye. Mostly bit and pieces that he would have pulled out of his pocket. Some change. A pocket knife and a box of matches. She turned over a few bits of new paper some clippings that he had there. Different recipes for casseroles. Carol almost gagged. 

"Are you going to go through my bathroom and drawers next?" He mumbled from the bed.

"I'm thinking about it... are you hiding something in this one?" She started opening the drawer challenging him to get out of the bed. He needed to let her fix his hair and hiding out with a huge hunk missing wasn't going to help anyone. "I'm going to open it."

He peered out and shrugged. "Go ahead... you might like what's in there..."

"Is it dead?"

"Nope," Daryl told her. Carol tugged it open and her hand went to her mouth when she saw what was in the dresser. "Do you want one?"

"Ok... thanks." Carol took out a foil package and shoved it in her pocket. She glanced over at him and he still wasn't budging, he was mildly interested in the fact she took a condom from his dresser. "Last chance, let me fix it or you have to go about with a big bit cut to your scalp."

"Will you be using scissors?"

"No I've got a good cut throat blade in my kit I can use... if you prefer?"

"You ain't going near me with no cut throat blade!"

"Well lets just use scissors then, come on stop being so pathetic about it, I only cut a little bit of hair off and nicked your neck a little. Let me check your boo boo and put a sticky on it."

"You cut my skin."

"You been snooping, there is no way you found out about Andrea and I, you scared me... no one should know,"

"I'm sorry alright!"

Daryl sat up in his bed to look at her, his bed sheets fell to her waist and Carol couldn't help but look, the sheets dipped down and she could tell he was naked. He held his sheet over his fun bits and turned on his side to get a better view of her. She got a whole new view of him and her heart started beating fast. She couldn't believe that he was hiding a body like that under crappy clothes and dirty hair. 

"What ya staring at?" He asked her.

"Your ears, and how I'm going to cut your hair." Carol told him.

"I don't have any hair that needs cutting on my stomach," Daryl told her, "Or were you planning on  doing something else?"

"You have tickets on yourself... So your hair cut now or later?" Carol asked him again. "Last chance!"

"Fine... but you owe me!" Daryl pulled his sheet up and half wrapped it around his waist stepping towards her.  Carol stepped back, banging into his bedroom door, she looked worried about what he was going to do. "I'm not going to do nothing to you, don't freak out."

"I'm not freaking out..." Carol told him, and she didn't know why she did it she put her hand on his chest and stroked down it. They both stood there and watched her hand as it stopped just above his bed sheets, they both looked as the sheet twitched with movement. 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

"Mommy can I have some juice?" Sophia's voice come through the door. Carol raised her eyes back up to Daryl's. 

"Sure... whatever you want honey!"

"What does mommy want?" Daryl leaned in a little closer, Carol felt it pressed up against her thighs. "Carol?"

"I want... I want you to put some pants on and come out to get a hair cut." Carol put her hand back on his chest, she couldn't help herself as she leaned in to kiss him. Her lips met his and she half sighed into his mouth. His hand went up her back and into the back of her hair. She found herself being pressed into his chest."I don't even like you, put some clothes on."

"I think that kiss proves that you do like me."

"I might just be horny... I have a vibrator at home... but then you probably already found that out via google." She gave him a wee shove away and opened the door behind her.

"Wait! What?" Daryl tried to follow her out but realized he was still wrapped in a bed sheet and there was a group of people outside who didn't need to see him running after Carol wrapped in a bed sheet. He scrambled about looking for clothes to put on and he was pulling a shirt on over his head as he headed out the door into the lounge.

"She's gone brother, Sophia wanted to go home to watch a tv program, she said to come over after eight." Merle told him. 

"I need to talk to you," Andrea grabbed him by the elbow and led him outside. "How did you figure out we were sisters?"

"I googled, is she really mad?"

"She's hiding from her ex, you can't be telling her you googled her and know everything, don't tell anyone." Andrea told him.

"I'm not, its just Sophia said something. I was worried." Daryl told her, "I just was worried."

"Don't tell anyone, be careful, he's in jail right now," Andrea told him, "I know you're interested in her but its complicated, more complicated than eating Sophia bunny," Andrea told him.

"So she wants me to go over when Sophia's asleep, what's that sposed to mean?"

"I don't know... use your imagination, and if it goes that way you better be as good as your brother is." Andrea told him.

"You mean, she's inviting me over for that?" Daryl wasn't sure.

"I don't know... just don't cook for her," Andrea told him, "or expect her to do anything for her, you are the first guy she's even talked too since she left her ex. I was surprised as hell that night here when I arrived and she was here for dinner."

"Didn't you know she was here?"

"Of course, I flew up and handled her divorce but I'm just saying I didn't expect her to go over to a guy's place for dinner, then when you served them up the pet bunny." Andrea shrugged her shoulders and headed inside, Andrea didn't know what Carol was thinking about Daryl but she still was pretty mad at him. She might end up meeting him at the door with a meat cleaver or something.

Two hours later Daryl scaled the fence and walked across Carol's yard, stopping to talk to the rabbit. Carol come out onto the back porch to see what he was doing. He looked up surprised to see that she knew he was over in her back yard. Carol walked across to greet him.

"Evening, you ready for me to fix that mop?" Carol asked him.

"How did you know I was here?" 

"Security camera's and motion sensors... and also Andrea text me." Carol told him.

"Why so many things, you worried?" 

"Just I want to know if I'm not alone?" Carol told him, she indicated to come back to the house. He followed her into the house. She had it all set up to finish cutting his hair. He sat down and folded his arms. She just went about wrapping him in a cape to finish it. "You know I'm gonna have to try blend this in right." He gave a nod to tell her he understood what she meant.

What happened next was one of the most erotic hair cuts she had ever done. She actually stood between his legs to trim everything up again. She moved about touching his hair, touching his shoulder, leaning into his personal space. He just had his eyes on her chest area, his eye eyes were also staring down to her butt. Carol, touched and trimmed every part of his head. When she finished she went and washed her hands, she past him the shovel and broom for him to sweep up his own hair. Carol watched as he bent over and tried to sweep up his own hair. She couldn't stop staring at him because he just looked so different. He looked hot, he looked young and she wanted to climb him like a tree.

"So would you like a drink?"

He shook his head.

"So what do you want to do?" Carol asked him, "Sit outside and watch the sun go down?" 

"Alright?" 

"You sure about a coffee, I'm having one." 

"Ok then," Daryl agreed he walked up close behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. He turned her around to face him, "Can I?" He asked, she knew what he was asking, if he could kiss her, she nodded and he put a hand on each side of the bench and leaned in. He kissed her, she was trapped between his strong arms, and she didn't feel worried. For the first time ever she kissed someone and didn't want to stop. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her up onto the bench, she wrapped her legs around his waist and started pulling his shirt out from his jeans while she was kissing him back.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

"This doesn't mean I like you!" Carol moaned as he kissed his way down the valley of her breasts.

"Uhuh... I know... you hate me...."

"That's right.... right there... its right there." She moaned as he started mouthing a nipple through her top. "God..."

He pulled back and looked at her. "You want this?"

"Yes..."

"Ok.... where's the bedroom.... I'm not keen on your daughter finding me with my pants around my knees."

Carol slid off the bench and grabbed his hand to move quickly to the bedroom. He followed close, he had his hand on the back of her pants the whole way there. She pulled Sophia's bedroom door mostly closed. She didn't want to have her wake up.  He followed her into her room and too a first glance around. She didn't have a bed. She just had a hammock in the middle of the room, it was hanging high about his chest height. He looked up seeing it was braced to the walls and it looked safe to him, hell if they fell out they would just land on the carpet. He headed towards it. She looked a little embarrassed.

"I don't have a bed," She kissed him, he didn't care, he was unbuttoning her pants and pulled her with him to the edge of the hammock, he glanced at it wondering how the hell they were going to do this. 

"Don't care... will that take the two of us?" He never done it in a hammock, hell he'd do it on the floor he wasn't fussy.

"Its a double person. As long as we both are not over six hundred pounds we should be good." She whispered. "My builder said its fine... I like to sleep in a hammock!"

"My dick weighs that much."

"If it does we are not doing it." She giggled. 

She kicked off her shoes, her pants and pulled her shirt off and climbed into it. It started moving back and forward on its ropes. Daryl dug in his pockets and tossed in a condom. He didn't want to have to go looking for that once he was in there. She was busy moving a blanket about and making things comfy for them. Daryl kicked off his shoes and pants. He tugged off his shirt and tried to climb in. 

The hammock rocked from side to side as he attempted to get in. He couldn't get in, Carol giggled and tried to help him over the edge, the hammock rocked from side to side and Daryl gave himself a great big heave up into it and went right over top of Carol to the other side. His head was hanging down to the floor and his butt was right over Carol's chest. She couldn't help giggling.

"I think I wanna go home." Daryl mumbled as he had the hammock swinging back and forward he couldn't get himself back into the upright position. Carol grabbed him by the back of his boxers and tugged at them. They both heard a ripping sound as Carol was left with his boxers in her hand. She was left with his bare arse staring up at her, she couldn't help it she lost it completely and let him go and he fell right over the edge completely. Carol lay back and laughed as she heard a thud on the floor.

"You ok?"

"Its just my pride... you sure you  don't want to do this on the couch?"

"No... here take this." Carol handed him a lacy bra, he stood there naked looking at the hammock again wondering if it was going to be possible to actually get in it. He moved close to it and lifted one leg up to the edge and did a body roll jump into it. "Ow... " Carol complained as he landed right on top of her.

"I'm in... I made it..." He whispered, he didn't want to jink anything and he also was afraid to move in case he tipped out.

"Are you going to move?" She asked him.

"No... I'm too scared... how the fuck do you sleep in this thing?"

"Its like being rocked in a cradle every night, roll over to the side so I can breath." Carol moved so he could move with her. They both were facing each other. He leaned in and started kissing her. He was completely at her mercy because she knew how this hammock thing worked but she was quite happy just letting him get comfortable.

"You ever had sex in one of these?"

"No... I'm sure we will be fine... just fine.... trust me."

"Trust you?" Daryl mumbled, he was soon figuring it all out. He wasn't clutching the side of the hammock with one hand anymore but just clutching onto the back of her panties instead. He was just a tiny bit worried that he might tip them both out. He felt something sticking to his back and it was itching him. He reached behind him grabbing it and coming back out with the tiny foiled square he tossed into the hammock earlier. "Shit... how the fuck do you think this is going to happen, why don't you have a bed like a normal person?"

"You want to be here or not? If not I will flip this thing right now and dump your naked arse out!" Carol wrapped her hand around his cock and squeezed a tiny bit.

"I'll behave, I just don't want to end up on the floor." Their movement started the hammock rocking from side to side. He managed to move his hand about to slip it into her panties and stroke her. She was already topless, he move slightly which sent them rocking again. He froze with his fingers on her clit and his mouth on her neck and they were swinging. "I don't know if I really like this or not.... I'm a bit scared."

Carol just giggle and grabbed the foil package that now was stuck to her stomach, "You were prepared... you need help putting this on?" 

"You want to put it on me?"

She ripped it open looked at it and rolled it on him. They moved about shuffling on the hammock, kissing, licking and his fingers were plunging into her, she rolled onto her back and he moved into her. He had no idea what was going to happen now, he moved once and they were swinging.

"You sure this will hold us?" 

"mmmm You feel nice." she moaned and pulled his head down to kiss her. They rocked and swing in the hammock until they both came. They were sweaty and swinging from side to side.

"That was good." She moaned, kissing him some more. They kept kissing and rocking from side to side for some time longer. They wanted to go again but they were too scared they would tip the hammock by trying to reach the ones in Carol's pocket.

"This thing need pockets if we are going to do this again to store some supplies." He bent down and kissed her some more. "I should go before Sophia wakes right?"

"Hmmm... later, alarms set for six and I always have to wake her. Just sleep." 


	11. Chapter 11

Daryl woke to someone poking him. 

"Did you have a sleep over?" Sophia was peering into the hammock. Her eyes barely seeing over the side. Daryl glanced down pleased to see they had managed to cover themselves with blankets over night. He hadn't meant to sleep over but it was like being rocked in a cradle.

"Um... sort of... um... Carol.... Carol!" Daryl nudged Carol who was curled up all over him. She was hot and sweaty, almost sticking to him.

"What?"

"Sophia.... is here." Daryl said calmly, as calmly as he could.

"Go get something to eat sweety, I'll be there in a minute." Carol blinked a few times opening her eyes. Sophia gave the hammock a shove and they swung back and forward again.

"Do you want me to rock you back to sleep?" Sophia asked them. 

"No hunny, you go check your bunny and I'll just be there in a minute."

"Ok, but Daryl's underpants are on the floor. Didn't he bring a over night bag?" Sophia looked around the room. She went to bend down to pick up some of the clothes off the floor.

"Leave them!" Carol told her, "Now shoo out to the kitchen, we will have pancakes ok."

"Ok, is Daryl staying for breakfast? Are you staying?" Sophia questioned Daryl.

"Um" Daryl just wanted to disappear and to make matters worse he was naked and there was a little girl dancing around the bedroom. She didn't seem surprised that he was there or anything. "Sure... ok, you go do what your mommy says and we will be there soon. Shut the door on the way out ok."

"You are not going to trick me are you?" Sophia pushed the hammock again.

"No trick's I promise. I'll even sit by you ok." Daryl would do anything to get her out of the room and he had no idea how he was going to get out of the hammock naked with his dignity intact. Sophia gave the hammock one last push and sent them swinging and skipped out the room slamming the door behind her. They heard her thumping her way down the hall banging into walls as she danced.

"You ok?" Carol stretched out on top of him, she gave him a kiss on the shoulder.

"Mornin'... I need clothes on. How the fuck do we get out of this thing?" Daryl asked.

"Easy," Carol rolled off him and slipped over the side of the hammock. She moved about pulling on pj pants and a tee shirt. He tried not to stare at her chest as she moved about.

Daryl tried to copy her reality simple move of slipping off the side and the hammock did a full flip and dumped him on the floor.

"Fuck fuck fuck!" He groaned. He landed with a thump on his side. "God... fuck." He was so aware he was naked and lying under her hammock with all his pride gone. "I'm dying." He moaned.

"You are not." Carol picked up his under wear and tossed them towards him. "Do you need me to dress you Daryl?"

"No... just leave me ... throw a blanket over the top and bury me under an apple tree." He complained.

"You are not dying, you had a slight tumble.... its going to be fine, you will be fine don't be a baby." Carol told him. "Quick before she comes back and wonders why you are naked."

"If we do this again we going to do it on the floor." Daryl rolled away trying to get his underwear on without flashing everything at her. He pulled his jeans towards him to put on. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. He lay back on his back to stretch out some more. He felt like he'd slept for a week and had woken up more refeshed than he had in a long time. He didn't know if that was from getting laid or sleeping in the hammock. He didn't want to admit anything yet but maybe Carol was right. He did sleep the sleep of the dead overnight.

"Pancakes?" 

"Yeah I'm just gonna use the bathroom then I'll be right there." He told her. She nodded and headed off to the bathroom first herself. 

By the time Daryl was sitting at the breakfast table Carol was scolding both him and Sophia for feeding the bunny from the table. Daryl had started it by feeding it bits of the cut up fruit Carol had put on his plate to go with the pancakes. Sophia followed his example and dropped more and more food onto the floor because Daryl was doing it too. Carol frowned at them both.

"Daryl I'm going to go take a shower, you can clean up the floor and help Sophia put the bunny outside before I have to head to work ok." Carol told him.

"But its Saturday?" Daryl complained.

"I still work Saturday." She told him. "Sophia then get ready ok."

"What do you do with Soph?" Daryl asked. He was leaning over in his chair trying to pick up bits of fruit. Sophia was copying him and Carol had to grab at her as her chair started to tip to the floor. Sophia seemed to be copying everything he was doing. He really had some appalling table manners she had seen in a long time. Eating with his fingers... throwing food on the floor and she noticed that Sophia seemed to be lapping it all up.

"I take her with me and she draws in the back room, watches tv and is really good." Carol told him. "My sitter who normally watches her has something else on for college."

"Do you want me to watch her for you?" Daryl asked her.

"Please mommy, let me go with Daryl?" Sophia asked her.

"Daryl um... can I see you in the hall a minute?" Carol indicated that he should follow her. "What are you doing?"

"Well just offering to help."

"Your not my boyfriend... you don't have to try impress me by offering to look after my kid." Carol told him. "We had sex... I made you pancakes... that's all."

"Well all I'm doing today is going to the store and hanging about. She will be fine."

"Daryl you have no idea... you have to watch her, feed her, check she's gone to the toilet. All of it, you never even looked after a child before."

"She's one little girl. How hard can it be?" Daryl told her, Carol bit her lip from pointing out all the things that he could do wrong. He was either going to sink or swim that was it.

"Ok. Its nine to five. You  can bring her to the salon if you need too ok." Carol told him. "Go tell her... but Daryl you feed her anyone's pet I will kill you."

 


	12. Chapter 12

"But you just went before you left the house." Daryl was frantic looking around for a toilet to take the little girl. He quickly become aware he was in a tough spot. All toilets were male or female and he couldn't take her into the males because she was too big, and she was to little to go into the girls alone.

"Daryl I need to pee." Sophia tugged his hand again. "Now."

"Can't you just go behind a tree?" Daryl asked her, she rolled her eyes at him. He spotted a disabled toilet and headed over to it. He opened the door and looked inside. One toilet, no one else. "Right go in there, don't you dare even think about locking the door alright."

"But someone might come in."

"I'll stand here and make sure they don't ok."

"Ok." Sophia shut the door behind her and Daryl heard the tell tale lock of it behind her. He bounced on his heels hoping she could unlock it and he was going to growl her for locking it when she come out.

"Excuse me sir is there a problem?"

"I'm just waiting for a little girl," Daryl told a huge security guard who come across in the small mall to see what he was doing loitering outside the toilets. His eyes narrowed and he looked Daryl up and down. "I mean, she's with me, she just needed to go to the toilet again and she couldn't go into the girls alone or into the boys with me so I sent her in there." 

They both heard the toilet flushing.

"Your daughter?"

"Um no."

"Your niece?"

"No a friends.... well we slept together.... so we are more than friends and I'm trying to baby sit. Then Sophia needed to pee." Daryl saw another security guard coming across he was still standing out side the toilet and Sophia hadn't come out yet. He knocked on the door, "Sophia... you gonna come out."

"I'm coming in a minute geeze...." Sophia's voice come out the door.

"Excuse me sir you are going to have to step away from the toilets." The other security guard told him.

"Fucken hell, can't a guy take a little kid to the toilet without a whole bunch of people coming down on him?" Daryl complained, the door clicked and Sophia stepped out, she gave everyone a beaming smile and stepped towards Daryl slightly wary of the two men standing by Daryl. She started to climb him to get to safety and he hauled her up the rest of the way to his hip. "All done?" He asked her.

"All done." She smiled at everyone and Daryl walked off with her in his arms. He was near his truck when he put her down. 

"Ok all ready?" He asked her.

"I'm hungry... do you have any snacks in there?" Sophia asked him.

"Snacks?" Daryl started rooting around in his glove compartment and come back with a stick of gum. Sophia looked at it.

"Like food?" She asked him, "Sandwich or something?"

Daryl looked at the time. It was way way past lunch time and he knew the next thing she would ask for was a drink.

"Drink?"

"Lets go to the dinner and get you something." Daryl started the truck up and dove towards the roadside dinner that had good lunches.

"I'm allergic to vegetables...." Sophia told him.

"What about ketchup?" Daryl asked her amused at her telling him she was allergic to it when Carol told her she would try to tell him she was allergic to healthy food like apples and banana's.

"Not allergic..."

"How about tomato?"

"Allergic."

"Potatoes?" 

"I'm allergic to vegetables!" Sophia told him quite clearly again.

"Fries?" Daryl drove into the dinner.

"Not allergic... who would be allergic to fries?" Sophia asked him.

"Well people allergic to potato's would be allergic to fries.... so I guess you can't have any... more for me.... and burgers.... for me too. I will get you some water." Daryl told her.

"I might not be allergic to potato's but I am allergic to tomatoes." Sophia told him as they walked into the dinner. 

"Good to know." Daryl couldn't help but smile as the little girl started to get excited about eating out. Her eyes went wide as she looked around the dinner, she pointed to the booth at the back.

"Afternoon Lori... a couple of menu's thanks." He took the menus off of her as she passed them over the counter.

"Coffee and milk for your little lunch date?" She asked him.

"I don't know... hang on..." Daryl wandered off to ask Sophia if she was allergic to milk too, she shook her head and said she would love a glass of milk. Lori brought their drinks over while Daryl was reading the menu to her. The dinner was great it did half sizes and quarter sizes for children and soon Sophia had asked for a hamburger and fries. Lori brought over pencils and a colour book for her to draw in.

"So Daryl where did you pick up such a cute little girl?" Lori dug for information about Sophia.

"He didn't pick me up... he was in the hammock this morning with mama," Sophia supplied as she was drawing.

"The hammock?" Lori was amused.

"Mama likes to sleep in a hammock and Daryl had a sleep over and threw his clothes over the bedroom." Sophia didn't even look up from what she's was doing.

"Just the two burgers Lori..." Daryl tried to distract her.

"No no.... Daryl this is too good.... to good, wait till I tell Rick that someone with a child caught you on their hook," Lori smiled a smug smile and thanked Sophia for telling her all about her mama's hammock they sounded like a lot of fun.

"They are but Daryl said swear words when he fell out. Mama said his pride was hurt." Sophia told her.

"His pride?"

"Or his butt I don't remember." Sophia told her.

Daryl's face flamed and he glared at Sophia for blabbing everything. Who knew kids were such blabber mouths. "Surely you have to go cook our lunch or something." Daryl tried to get rid of her.

"Well really I just have to put your order in and then I'm on lunch myself.... oh look there is Rick and Carl now." Lori pointed out the window. "Won't this be fun, we can all have lunch together Sophia won't that be fun and you can tell us all about the adventures you have had with Daryl today."

Daryl just groaned and put his head in his hands.

 

 

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

"Soph sometimes you shouldn't tell everything to strangers." Daryl tried to tell her when they left the cafe.

"But why... they looked like they wanted to know... they wanted to know." Sophia told him.

"Of course they did because they are nosy." Now everyone would be all up in his business wanting to know what was going on with Carol and him. The day wasn't going that great and he still had a ton of things to do with the little Carol mini me in tow. 

"You were a stranger and I told you stuff..." Sophia started to say.

"You need to keep your mommy's secrets and not tell anybody _that_ secret ok. That's a good one to keep. If you not sure if you should keep a secret or not you need to talk to your ma or Aunty Andrea alright." Daryl began to see he'd dug himself into a hole of secret keeping. "You just tell your mommy everything alright."

"Even when the police men stopped you outside the toilets?" Sophia looked up at him with her big blue eyes, he wanted to be angry at her for that still making him look dodgy hanging out the little girls toilets but he couldn't be cross at that face she was starting to bewitch him or something he was sure. He was going to have to do something about that. Keep her at arms length and not let her smile at him or hold his hand or look at him like he could protect her.

"They were not police... they were security and it was your fault for locking the door." Daryl wanted Carol to finish work so he could swap shifts with her. Looking after little girls was harder than he thought it was going to be. He wasn't prepared for the way the conversation when next.

"Can we go to where we got my bunny?" Sophia asked him. "To the bunny farm?" She was holding his hand as they crossed the car park swinging it back and forward. He glanced down at the tiny hand in his and the trust she had that he would get her to where they needed to go safety. 

"Why?"

"Because I want a boy and a girl bunny and they can get married to each other." Sophia told him, "They can share a cage... and be friends."

"Nope, because we will end up with hundreds of bunny's." Daryl shook his head. "We'd have to get it fixed if you want a boy and girl... and they might mate or something."

"How? How will that happen?" Daryl opened the door to his truck to help her in, and shut the door hoping by the time he walked slowly around to the drivers door that she would forget her question.

"How. Will. That. Happen?" Sophia asked him slowly.

"What would happen?" He asked her as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"How do they mate?" Sophia asked them.

"Well... when two bunny's a boy and a girl like each other they want to do things... um... how old are you again?" He asked her as they drove out of the carpark.

"I'm eight!"

"What do you know about the birds and the bee's?" Daryl asked her.

"Bee's make honey and birds eat cherries and every other god damn thing my grandpop used to say!" Sophia told him.

"Grandpop? Where's he now?" Daryl asked her.

"He died... then we moved away because.... Ed." Sophia told him. "Grandpop would have told me why I couldn't have a boy and girl rabbit together."

"I think you need to ask mommy, Soph, ya ma might just kill me if I told you." Daryl told her. "But I think I can run two run's along side each other if we had another rabbit. What do you think, should we go see if we could find her a husband?"

Sophia looked very excited about heading off with Daryl to go look at boy rabbits. He hoped that he managed to side step the big question, if it was his kid he would have told her about how rabbits mate but she wasn't and her ma might not want to tell her anything yet. Sophia looked sideways at Daryl.

"Is mating sex?" Sophia asked him.

Daryl coughed and tried to keep his eyes on the road. He gave a nod of his head.

"Why didn't you just tell me, I know everything there is to know about sex so if you need to know ask me." Sophia told him. Daryl sat through a five minute explanation about how babies were made in a very matter of fact tone. She told him a couple of things he never thought about. "Do you understand? Do you want me to explain anything better?"

"Um... I think I'm good thanks.... who told you all that?" Daryl asked her.

"Mommy has a book, and I ask lots of questions." Sophia told him, "So if you ever want to know anything I'll hook you up ok? Do you want to borrow my book?"

"I think I'm good, I'll ask mommy if I need to know anything else ok." Daryl told her. He pulled into the driveway of the older man who bred the rabbits to go in and see about getting another bunny for Sophia. The old man come out of his house looking surprised to see Daryl walking towards him hand in hand with a little girl.


	14. Chapter 14

Daryl watched Sophia playing in the grassy area surround by male rabbits. He couldn't help but smile as she rolled about excited about the whole experience.

"Got yourself loved up Daryl... I didn't know you had a child." Hershel said.

"She's not mine, she's a friend."

"A special friend?" The old man asked him, "You just are not the type to bring a little girl out to play with rabbits Daryl."

"She wants a boyfriend for the one she's already got." Daryl told him.

"Well before you took that one she bonded with that black and white one there. They were friends through the fence. You will have to get his balls cut though... other wise you will end up with thousands of rabbits one day."

"Yeah I told her." Daryl muttered. "The black and white one Sophia... we can take that one,"

The little girl beamed a smile so wide that Daryl couldn't help but feel it deep down that he was the one that made her smile like that. She was a cute kid and he was enjoying spending the day with her, it had had its up's and downs but over all he felt like he could do this. He could spend more time with Sophia looking after her and dating Carol. He was down with being a step dad if their relationship went down that route.

"Well now Daryl Dixon I have never ever seen you interested in anything that you couldn't eat, hunt or fix... I think you might have found yourself the one... and be careful because that little girl is going to have you wrapped around her little finger before you know what to do." Hershel said. "I have two girls I know what I'm talking about."

"Maybe old timer maybe." Daryl called Sophia over and they paid Hershel for the bunny and Daryl buckled Sophia back into the carseat. He handed her the bunny to hold while they drove back into town. Sophia spoke softly to the bunny and to Daryl the whole way back into town telling him all the names she could possibly call her bunny. 

When they arrived home to Carol's place her car was home. Daryl lifted the bunny off of Sophia's lap, it appeared to be asleep like its owner in the back seat. Carol come out of the house talking to him asking how his day went. He handed her the over large rabbit to hold while he unbuckled Sophia out of the car seat. Carol watched as he lifted the sleepy little girl out of her seat. 

Carol frowned seeing her asleep knowing that she would be awake all night now she was napping this late in the day. Daryl carried her into the house and put her onto the couch in the lounge. Carol watched him being tender with Sophia and wondered what had transpired between them today as he seemed very relaxed with Sophia now and this morning he was a tad nervous. 

"Hi..." Daryl flashed her a smile. 

"Hi... so you got her another bunny... this isn't going to happen every time you go out is it?"

"No... I borrowed a run of Hershel and we will hook it ups so they are side by side until we get his knackers cute off." Daryl told her, he leaned over and kissed her hello.

"Hello to you too." She kissed him again.

"Just follow me, I'll lift this cage out and I'll tell you all about it." Daryl told her. 

Carol watched as he pulled out two huge dog crate type cages that you could put up. He joined them together with cable ties and he had been given a type of cover to give him shelter and shade from the sun. They put the male rabbit in and pushed it up side by side against his mates. They both were trying to find ways to get into each other. Carol  smiled at the antics between them both wanting to get into each others cages.

"How are you going to do this Daryl... two rabbits?"

"Well I thought I would build a big run over in that corner, because they are going to get really big. But until he gets fixed... we might want to get her fixed too. We don't want every other male rabbit in the neighbourhood coming in thinking she's a five dollar hooker." Daryl told her.

"Did you just call her a hooker?"

"Look at her rubbing up and down on the side of her cage." Daryl watched the female try get the male to be interested in her.

"Fine we will get her fixed too."

"I think we don't want any low class rabbits coming around." Daryl said. He walked over and gave Carol a kiss and a hug hello. Carol kissed and hugged him back.

"So... rumor happens that there was a pervert hanging out about the girls toilet at the mall..." Carol gave him a sassy look as she headed off up to the house with a sway on her hips that he watched all the way up the steps. "I hear everything Daryl... come I will make you a coffee while you tell me everything."

"What do you want to know? How babies are made or the fact that Sophia told everyone at the dinner I slept with you last night." Daryl told her, Carol's mouth dropped open as Daryl told her the tales of the day.

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

Carol was giggling about the day Daryl had still they were standing on the front door step watching Sophia run to the letter box to pick up all the mail out of the box. The little girl ran care free the whole way to the letter box with her dog loping along behind her. She ran like she had no worries in the world and she had the promise of a fun night with her aunty and Merle her day was just getting better and better.

Daryl had his arms wrapped around Carol and they were discussing what to do while Merle and Andrea babysit for Carol so they could go out for dinner. Carol was ready to trust to leave Sophia with Andrea even though she had been asking to keep her overnight for a while now. She really felt that for the first time in a very long time that she could be happy and relax with not only her daughter but with a new man in her life.

For a long time she never thought she could ever let anyone in her heart because of her ex. Carol couldn't have found a better guy even though the first time they ate together he fed her Sophia's pet rabbit. Carol was also looking forward to getting Sophia out of the house so she could also get Daryl naked and spend the whole night having fun with him all over the house. The big rug on the lounge floor looked inviting.

Sophia come down the drive waving mail around to mom. She tripped up the steps onto her knees and Daryl moved forward to pick her up. Carol picked up the mail off the ground and followed Daryl through to the kitchen where he had put her on the kitchen bench to clean up her banged knees. Carol watched him put a cold cloth on her skinned knee and assured Sophia she probably just needed a band aid. 

Carol tucked the mail under her arm and found the first aid kit to help him cover the war wounds of the little girl. Carol handed over the band aid and started to open the mail. Daryl finished up and took Sophia to pack a overnight bag. Carol glanced through the mail while Daryl went with Sophia to pack, since she was only going over the fence he knew she wouldn't need a great deal of things. He come out after Sophia had packed a bag full and she was rocking away in her hammock looking at a book.

Carol was staring at a envelope her hands were shaking, it had a stamp on it and had been dropped off from the mail by the post man and she kept turning it over and over. Her stomach felt like it had been ripped out and the rug from under her feet had been pulled. She reconized his writing and knew whatever was inside didn't matter. It had her address on it. He knew where she was, they were going to have to leave. She had to start packing now because her ex no doubt by now had people on their way to find her.

"Carol?" Daryl asked her.

"Its fine... " Carol choked out the words, Daryl could tell everything was not fine, by the look on her face and the tears in her eyes.

Daryl could see she was upset about it. He snatched the letter off her before she knew what he was doing he ripped it open. His eyes scanned the whole thing and his gut lurched as he though of the little girl in the bedroom and the scared women across from him. He wanted to gather them too him as he read the words. 

_I know where you live and I know where you are! Keep your eye you your girl._

"Get your shit." Daryl said grabbing Carol's hand and dragging her through the house to her bedroom, he called out to Sophia that they were leaving now. He threw some clothes in a bag for Carol. Carol opened her cupboard and pulled out two already packed bags and showed them to him. Daryl looked at the bags that were passed to him. He didn't want to think about the fact she had bags ready just to go at a moment's notice and she could leave so quickly at any time. She could just leave him. He tried not to think about it and took Carol and Sophia out the back shoving them over the fence into his own back yard.

His first thought was to take them to a motel but having them in his house was to close to Carol's place. He needed to talk to Merle and Andrea, four heads were better than two to figure out what to do about this threat.

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I've had roadblock but I've just about completed another fic not this one but I've been writing another piece for three days straight.

“I’m just saying I know a guy who can take care of it!” Merle told Daryl quietly, but not quietly enough because his girlfriend threw him a look from across the room. “Don’t listen, or be nosy,”

 

“You can’t just kill a guy… can you?” Andrea asked him. “Shit don’t tell me I don’t want to know. Goodnight.”

 

“Night,” Both Daryl and Merle looked up from the kitchen table, all their curtains were closed up. They had the dogs inside. Their place was locked up tight and Merle and Daryl didn’t think anyone would come over there.

 

Some one had come up the drive asking for Carol in a courier van earlier when Daryl was putting the rabbits into their carrier and Daryl had said that he just didn’t know where they were and she just had asked him to feed the rabbits and he’d noticed their cages were not secure so he was going to give them to another friend to look after.

 

The man didn’t believe Daryl, Daryl knew he would have been followed after leaving Carol’s house so he drove all over town for an hour before dropping off at a bar. He looked over his shoulder noticing the guy following him to the parking lot. Daryl slipped through the bar handing off the carrying cage to a surprised Axel behind the bar asking him to give them to Maggie when he saw her so Hershel could watch them for a bit while Carol was away.

 

Daryl went through the kitchen, up the back flight of stairs, down the service door and back to his truck and was gone again before whomever was following him knew he was no longer in the bar.

 

When he got home Merle had put both Carol and Sophia into Daryl’s bedroom. They were both asleep and it was late. Merle had climbed up into their attic and used his night vision glasses he used for hunting to look over at Carol’s house. As expected there were two men trying to break into her house. 

 

Merle reached for the phone and had called the police to report it. The cops arrived quietly picking the men up and taking them to the police station for questioning. Merle wanted to ring and ask the police if anything had been said but Andrea said no it was better for them to pretend Carol was actually away and they didn’t know where she was just in case there was somebody else looking for her.

 

Merle waited about half an hour before saying it again.

 

“I know a guy who can take care of it.”

 

“Who?”

 

“That Glenn Rhee… he’s doing life, he’s like a fucken nija and he will take out her ex, he owes me.”

 

“Whats he in for?”

 

“You don’t want to know… but anyway, he’s go nothing to lose and if we top up his canteen for the next while he will do it.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“Lets just say I’ve been paying into his canteen fund for a few years now so no one is going to suspect a thing.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why what?”

 

“You been paying his canteen money?”

 

“Its a long story… doesn’t matter now I’m going to take care of it for you.” Merle said quietly, “And if he can’t he will know people who can and lets just say Carol won’t have an ex husband any more.”

 

“Are you sure this is right?”

 

“You want someone coming around after that little girl and your woman?”

 

“No… Do it… get rid of him.” Daryl whispered.

  
Merle stood up and picked up his cell phone to put a plan into place.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end. This was supposed to be a one shot you guys got lucky. xox

Glenn Rhee waited a few days before cornering his target in communal yard. Ed Peletier did not even see it coming neither did the guards nor did anyone else. Glenn Rhee was walking along with his buddies one minute and one of them tripped him up, pushing him forward and he fell into Ed Peletier and the next minute Ed was dead on the ground. No one knew what happened.

 

One minute he was standing there talking with his mates then the next he was dead on the ground and Glenn was up walking away pretending he did not know the guy was dead. Mission completed and no one could really prove it was not an accident

 

They pulled Glenn in to question him and he said he did nothing just was passing by being stupid with a friend and then the next moment he and Ed fell. He said he had no idea that Ed was dead when he stood up and walked away. The person interviewing him didn’t know whether to believe him or not.

 

Glenn just shrugged and said that he couldn’t help it if Ed had brittle bones. He clearly did not mean to hurt him and he had even tried to stop falling on him. He pointed out the graze down his arm. 

 

They viewed the video of the incident over and over and they still could not see intent. As far as they could tell Glenn was walking about with his friends then they had been acting the goat for some time before the incident with Glenn and they put it down to a accident. 

 

They told Glenn no more investigations would be made into the incident and they would let Ed’s next of kin know the had passed and contact Ed’s lawyer to take care of his funeral or anything else that needed to be done with his body.

 

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

 

News slowly filtered down to Andrea that Ed was dead. He was gone. Carol and Sophia had been staying with Daryl and Merle for almost a week when Carol come home with the news. All Ed’s goons disappeared because they knew they would not be getting paid or rewarded for finding his ex wife and child.

 

Merle had been keeping an eye on them for a week and he watched them leave town. Carol wondered if they should go home now Ed was dead. Daryl veto’d the whole idea. He had grown used to having them around. Even though nothing but some over the top of the clothes pg stuff had been going on between them because he had given his room up to Carol and her daughter. Daryl was sleeping on the couch and everyone seemed to hang out around them all the time they had not been alone at all.

 

“We can go home now.” Carol told him.

 

“But you should stay here for a little while longer so we can make sure.” Daryl suggested.

 

“Is that the real reason?” Carol asked him.

Daryl ducked his head and nodded.

 

“It’s not because you want us to stay with you?” Carol asked him.

 

Daryl blushed like mad, he still was not very good at expressing his emotions. He glanced up at her because she was standing in front of him. For the first time in a week everyone had gone to bed early leaving Daryl and Carol alone in the lounge room. All the lights were off, curtains were drawn. There was only the light of the glow of a lamp in the corner.

 

He reached out pulling her closer to him. He planted a kiss on her stomach on top of her tee shirt near the part where the tee met the top of her jeans. Her hands went to his shoulders. He had already brought out his sleeping bag and pillow for the night. He nuzzled his face into her stomach.

 

“I want you to stay.” He mumbled. “Or I want to go with you.”

 

“You want to move in together?” Carol asked him checking that what he was saying was what she thought he was saying.

 

“Hm yes… but I’m gonna need a bed, there’s only so much hammock sex i can take.” Daryl told her. He pulled her down so she had no choice but to straddle his lap. He leaned back so his back was resting on the back of the couch. “What do you think?”

 

Carol leaned in to kiss him again and she pulled back to smile at him. “That depends… are you going to be cooking any casseroles?” 

 

“Smart arse!” Daryl growled as he started kissing his way down her neck. “You can buy food for me to cook if you want to.”

 

“I want to.” Carol whispered. “I’ll buy you a camp stretcher.” Carol leaned in kissing him some more, helping him take his shirt off. Daryl was busy himself trying to get her tee shirt off her. They tried to be quiet in the lounge room making love quietly all night long, whispering about their future. 


End file.
